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Miggy, Prince set the table for others in Game 2

Miggy, Prince set the table for others in Game 2

10/7/12: Miguel Cabrera helps lead the Tigers to a 2-0 series lead by going 3-for-5 with a run scored in Game 2

By Anthony Odoardi
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MLB.com |

DETROIT -- For the Tigers, it's reached the point where there's only one way to describe what third baseman and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera does at the plate.

"That's just Miggy," said Quintin Berry after the Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series with a 5-4 win over the A's on Sunday when asked about Cabrera notching a game-high three hits, including a single to setup the eventual game-winning run.

Cabrera stepped to the plate with 40,684 fans at Comerica Park belting out "M-V-P!" which has recently become the norm for each of his at-bats in front of the home crowd.

He didn't deliver with his usual monstrous home run or opposite-field gapper, but with two strikes in a high-pressure situation, that wasn't necessarily his goal.

"Get a base hit, not try and do too much because [in] that situation, your mind kind of gets big for that home run," said Cabrera. "I think a home run is beautiful but when you get right into that situation, you've got to hit. You've got to play your game and not try to do too much."

Instead, his soft line drive back up the middle allowed Omar Infante to advance from first to third and get in position to score the game-winning run.

His 3-for-5 day followed up Game 1's 0-for-3 performance, which was a rare occurrence for Cabrera this season. However, as Berry put it, you can only contain him for so long.

"That's what I said yesterday," Berry said. "People asking about him not coming through yesterday or him not contributing too much and I said, 'You know what, if you don't get it from him today, you're definitely going to get it from him tomorrow.'

"He's our big horse. Him and Prince. so he's just doing what he does."

Fielder's day at the plate wasn't quite as big. But his single in the bottom of the third inning helped Detroit respond after the A's nearly broke the game open in the top half of the frame. And his intentional walk after Cabrera's ninth-inning single set up Don Kelly's game-winning sacrifice fly.

Combined, the two are 4-for-16 in the middle of the order -- all four hits coming in Game 2. It hasn't been the production the Tigers are accustomed too, but that's perhaps the most encouraging sign for the rest of the team.

"It can't be Cabrera and Fielder every time," catcher Alex Avila said. "I know they won a ton of games for us during the regular season and that's fine, too. But teams are going to key in and make sure everyone besides them beats them.

The last two games were good examples of the rest of us coming through. When those guys hit and do their job too, it makes us tough to beat."

Anthony Odoardi is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.